Contents

History

Bromeliads are one of the more recent plant groups to have
emerged. The greatest number of primitive species reside in the Andean highlands of South America
where they originated in the tepuis of the Guyana Shield.[4]
The most basal genus Brocchinia is endemic to these tepuis and is
placed as the sister
group to the remaining genera in the family.[5]
The west African
species Pitcairnia feliciana is the
only bromeliad not endemic
to the Americas, and is thought to have reached Africa via
long-distance dispersal approximately 12 million years ago.[4]

Humans
have been using bromeliads for thousands of years. The Incas, Aztecs, Maya and
others used them for food, protection, fiber and ceremony, just as
they are still used today. European interest began when Spanishconquistadors
returned with pineapple,
which became so popular as an exotic food that the image of the
pineapple was adapted into European art and sculpture. In 1776, the
species Guzmania lingulata was
introduced to Europe, causing a sensation among gardeners
unfamiliar to such a plant. In 1828, Aechmea
fasciata was brought to Europe, followed by Vriesea
splendens in 1840. These transplants were successful
enough that they are still among the most widely grown bromeliad
varieties.

In the 1800s, breeders in Belgium, France and the Netherlands
started hybridizing plants for wholesale
trade. Many exotic varieties were produced up until World War I,
which halted breeding programs and led to the loss of some species.
The plants experienced a resurgence of popularity after World War
II. Since then, Dutch, Belgian and North American nurseries have
largely expanded bromeliad production.

Collectors

Édouard
André was a French collector/explorer whose many discoveries of
bromeliads in the Cordilleras of South America would be influential
on horticulturists to follow. He was felt to have served as a
source of inspiration to twentieth century collectors, in
particular Mulford B. Foster and Lyman
Smith of the United States and Werner Rauh of Germany.[6]

Description

Bromeliads are a varied group of organisms, adapted to a number
of climates. Foliage take different shapes, from needle thin to
broad and flat, symmetrical to irregular, spiky and soft. The
foliage, which usually grows in a rosette, is the most widely patterned
and colored of any plant in the world. Leaf colors range from
maroon, through shades of green, to gold. Varieties may have leaves
with red, yellow, white and cream variegations. Others may be
spotted with purple, red, or cream, while others have different
colors on the tops and bottoms of the leaves.

The inflorescence produced by bromeliads are
also regarded as considerably more diverse than any other plant
family. Some flower spikes may reach 10 meters tall while others
only measure 2–3 mm across. Upright stalks may be branched or
simple with spikes retaining their color from two weeks up to
twelve months, depending on species. In some species the flower
remains unseen, growing deep in the vase of the plants.

Root systems vary according to plant type. Terrestrial bromeliad
species have complex root systems that gather water and nutrients
while epiphytic bromeliads
only grow hard, wiry roots to attach themselves to trees and
rocks.

An epiphytic bromeliad

Some bromeliads are faintly scented while others are heavily
perfumed. Blooms from the species Tillandsia cyanea resemble the
smell of clove spice.

One study found 175,000 bromeliads per hectare (2.5 acres) in
one forest; that many bromeliads can sequester 50,000 liters (more
than 13,000 gallons) of water.[7]

A wide variety of organisms take advantage of the pools of water
trapped by bromeliads. A study of 209 plants from the Ecuadorianlowlands identified 11,219 animals,
representing more than 300 distinct species, many found only on
bromeliads; for instance, some species of ostracods, small salamanders approximately 2.5 centimeters (1
inch) in length and tree
frogs. Jamaican
bromeliads are home to Metopaulias depressus, a reddish-brown
crab 2 cm (0.75 inch) across,
which has evolved social behavior to protect its young from
predation by Diceratobasis
macrogaster, a species of damselfly whose larvae live in bromeliads. Some bromeliads even
form homes for other species of bromeliads.[7]

Bromeliads growing on telephone lines

Adaptations

The plants within the Bromeliaceae are able to live in a vast
array of environmental conditions due to their many adaptations. Trichomes, in the form of scales or hairs,
allow bromeliads to capture water in cloud forests and help to
reflect sunlight in desert environments. [8].
Some bromeliads have also developed an adaptation known as the tank
habit, which involves the bromeliads forming a tightly bound
structure with their leaves that helps to capture water and
nutrients in the absence of a well-developed root system. [8].
Bromeliads also use crassulacean acid
metabolism (CAM) photosynthesis to create sugars. This
adaptation allows bromeliads in hot or dry climates to open their
stomates at night rather than during the
day, which prevents them from losing water.[9].

Distribution

Plants in the Bromeliaceae family are widely
represented in their natural climates across the Americas. One
species can be found in Africa. They can be found at altitudes from
sea level to 4200 meters, from rainforests
to deserts. Approximately half
the species are epiphytes,
some are lithophytes,
and some are terrestrial. Accordingly, these plants can be found in
the Andean
highlands, from northern Chile
to Colombia, in the Sechura Desert of
coastal Peru, in the cloud forests of
Central and South America, and in southern Florida and Texas.

Cultivation
and uses

Only one bromeliad, the pineapple (Ananas comosus), is a
commercially important food crop. Many other bromeliads are popular
ornamental
plants, grown as both garden and houseplants. There are also artificial
bromeliads, which can be used as an alternative to the real ones
for purposes of decorating.

Well-known kinds of bromeliad

Air plants (Latin name: Tillandsia) are very curious because they do not need any roots to stay alive. Instead they soak up moisture from the air around them through tiny, silvery scales on their leaves. They have so many of these scales that the whole plant can look grey. In the wild they grow on tree banches in rainy and misty areas. In the Caribbean there is a kind that grows on telephone wires!

Urn plants (Latin name: Aechmea) are easy to keep. They grow to about 60 cm across, but because the stiff, green-and-grey leaves have spiny edges, they need to be out of the way. Urn plants got their name because they have a hole in the middle made by the ring-shaped arrangement of their leaves. This central urn fills up with rainwater in the wild and is often home to insects and frogs. Its flowers are held high on a single stem, and protected by a globe of small, pink leaves which lasts for several months.

Vriesias (Latin names: Vriesia and Guzmania) are like urn plants, but they have no spines and their leaves are softer. They are often sold in flower shops (and sometimes in supermarkets) and are very easy to look after. Their flowers grow on a single stem, protected by flattened, colourful leaves. It is better not to fill the central space with water, as these soft-leaved plants might rot. instead their soil should be watered.

Spanish moss

Spanish moss (Latin name: Tillandsia usneoides) is a grey plant found hanging from trees in the swamps of the southern United States, especially in Louisiana but as far east as coastal Virginia. To the south it spreads as far as Chile and Argentina. It gained its current name from Spanish and French colonisers in the Gulf of Mexico. The French called it Barbe Espagnole ("Spanish beard") to insult their rivals, and the Spanish in turn called it Cabello francés ("French hair"). Today "Spanish moss" survives as a mild version of the French taunt, although some call the plant "Graybeard".

Other kinds of bromeliad

Bromelia, the plant which gives its name to the family, is the only other bromeliad with edible fruit. Its berries taste a bit like pineapple, but are less tasty, and there are not very many on each plant.

Fascicularia is the only bromeliad that can be grown in frosty areas. It is not killed by frost if it is kept dry in the winter.

Pitcairnia is the only wild bromeliad outside the Americas. One species, Pitcairnia feliciana, was discoved living in West Africa. It is probably descended from seeds carried by migrating birds.

Puya is the largest bromeliad. It can grow up to nine metres tall. It lives in the Andes mountains, and is sometimes eaten by bears for its nectar. In Chile the young leaves of some puyas are eaten in salads.